Reborn
by musubi7
Summary: During the Ancient Days of Strife, the beings of Fire and Water fell in love. Fleeing their disapproving parents Light and Dark, the One turned them into reincarnates. Now, they are reborn 2,000 years later.
1. Prolouge

IN THE BEGINNING… 

In the beginning, there was Darkness; all around there was darkness. Until one day, Light made itself present through a stroke of the One. The One banished the Dark from the Earth for being evil. The Dark did not leave the Earth. The Light and the Dark battled for many, many hours until the One called it enough. The One said that the Light would rein power over half a day, and the Dark over the other half. The One, however, wanted some light during the night to punish the Dark for its treacherous behavior. The moon and stars were formed.

Dark and Light lived in harmony for quite sometime. The Dark created a being called Water whom ruled on the Earth. The Light created its own habitat, the Land. The Light created another being called Fire, from which all is nourished.

Light and Dark emerged in another battle. They used their creations at each other. When Fire and Water collided, it created a white-like figure called Air. Air provided strength to both teams. Light also used the land against the Dark, but the Water simply ate each boulder. After nearly destroying the Earth, the One called their petty argument to a halt once more. Through this second confrontation, the four Elements were formed: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water.

Dark and Light formed creatures to inhabit the Earth. The One created beings in His image and set them in a central place. With their own curiosity, given to them by the Dark, they left the area and spread out. Living in different areas, they learned different Arts (later known to be bending) and gained different appearances. Those from the _Norte and_ the _Sur_ had dark skin and bright blue eyes. They learned from Mother Ocean the art of _waterbending. _Those from the small provinces in the Upper _Oeste_, they learned from Air because it was closest. They had lighter skin than the _waterbenders _and had equally wide eyes. They learned _airbending. _The lower _Oeste _learned from the Light: Fire. Their skin had a yellow-tinge to it and bright golden eyes behind a slant. The last continent was ruled by Fire's counterpart, Earth. These people were dark eyed, dark skinned, and dark haired.

Light, wanting to be different than its opposer, the Dark, gave these people a different language and tongue. Thus, Light and Fire were no longer referred to as _Incindio_, by the One's language, but as _Agni_—in the language of Fire—Fiage (fee-ajsh). Other languages branched from the One's shortly after.

Naturally, the hotheaded original gods, Dark and Light began another feud about the seasons. The battled for one year about it. At first, Dark used her Water to freeze the Earth. Light slowly melted it, temperatures rising until it reached its peak. The Dark was shunned out and Light gained more than 12 hours of the day. However, this increased strength made the Light weak. The Dark saw this and struck the Earth again: weakening it until it was a desolate tundra and Dark gained more hours than 12. The One stepped in, tired and exasperated that the Dark and Light would go through something like this. The One deemed that every year would then go as followed: winter, spring, summer, autumn, just as their battle had been. 12 months, four seasons, three months each. The dispute between the two would be over at last…or so the One thought.

The Dark and Light continued to clash through whichever means possible: through natural disasters, through horrible raids upon each other, the list continued for miles of the treacheries they did to each other. However, there were two beings that were not involved: the Fire and Water.

Actually, the Fire and Water became quite attracted towards each other. They would sneak around when darkness covered the Earth. The Moon and Sun, other creations of the Dark and Light would help the children seek each other. Their affair lasted for over three months. As the leaves began to fall from the trees, suspicion of their affair rose. The Fire and Water eventually stopped seeing each other, but not before the Water held the Fire's child within her. This child would be key to ending the feud between Dark and Light. The child's name was Ia. However, she was born still. The One quickly rebounded and created a new being called the Avatar. This would solve the problems of Dark and Light. Water, completely distraught turned to the One and asked to see her lover once more. However, the One needed a place to hide the two lovers. He made their spirits _Nuevos Spiritos_, or reincarnates. They would meet up again sometime—their love delayed. However, they were out of the warring gods way, and that was all that mattered.

Their souls traveled for centuries, never meeting each other until the Age of Fire was upon the Earth.

That, my friends, my dear readers, is where our story must begin.

bandgeek's music corner

Aye Carumba! This was almost too long. Just a quick verification, the first language that I used, the One's language is Spanish. Only did that because I'm too much of a prick to look up other languages online and I can't understand Japanese. I'm in Spanish II, so at least I knew how to say the directions. Here're your translations. I don't know what language "Agni" is in, so I made up the language. The other lands break off to different languages, so I'm going to say that Fire is Chinese, Water is Inuit (or German, it depends on which one I can find online), Earth is Afrikaans, and Air is English. Yeah. Basically, the love story is going to follow as a Romeo and Juliet-esq thing, but trust me, there's more to the story that that. I suck at writing from Zuko's POV, so expect most of this to be from Katara's POV or Aang's. Whichever one I like the most. 

Sur South

Norte North

Este East

Osete West

Nuevos Spiritos New Spirits, I'm pretty sure…either that or I said Nine Spirits.

_Ok, I've drabbled enough, let me hear your reviews, and I'll be sure to get another chapter up…if you're lucky. Three reviews new chapter in the next week! _


	2. Chapter 1

**Surprise**

* * *

It had been three weeks after the Northern Siege. Yue was gone. She died. He had felt her spirit leave her body and that dead weight of lifelessness. Yue…the new spirit of the moon. The woman that he had loved. 

It had taken Sokka forever to come out of his state of mind. He remained clammed up—no speaking, no eating, and hardly any breathing. What got him out of that depressive, borderline over-emotional state? He didn't know. There was someone out there…perhaps Yue herself…someone was telling him to move forward: that life was full of hardships, and this just happened to be one of them. That evening, he ate for the first time in days. Aang and Katara smiled at him as he progressively came out of his depression. He stopped blaming himself for Yue's death, and eventually…

…Came back to normal.

Katara was shocked one morning to find her brother not only eating, but had prepared the meal himself. Immediately, she questioned the health ramifications of the meal she was about to eat. Sokka didn't say much, but that was understood. Although he was eating again, it would take a lot to bring Sokka back to his original state: before he met Yue…before he fell in love with her. Katara neither blamed Sokka or Yue for what had happened, or the result of it. She didn't blame anyone…except maybe Zhou. Death had reserved a seat for that bastard on the ninth level of hell.

Sokka ate in silence, watching the waves crash below them. The sun was setting over the horizon, creating a magenta ambiance. Katara, seated next to him, began humming a familiar tune. It was the Southern Prayer of Peace. As a child, Katara loved that song. Almost every night after she learned it, she would sing it…hoping that some higher deity would hear her.

"Laat de hemel vallen

in de oceaan

laat de oceaanstijging

aan de hemel

zon het vallen

maan die hoog toeneemt

Laat Dark verheugen me

in het Licht

Vrede van Naties

Kom aan ons

enkel als twilight

draaien aan nacht

de lucht is rond ons

de brand ontmoet water

het water ontmoet aarde

de vrede komt aan ons

Wij bidden

Amen"

By the fourth line of the song, Sokka had joined Katara. This was the one song that his parents made sure he could sing properly before they left. Although Sokka chose not to believe in the One, Katara did. She sang this song to make her feel better…to give her hope. Katara believed in the One who planned destinies. Sokka believed that man made his own destinies. Although they believed in different spiritual things, Sokka still loved the song. It made Katara happy, so it made him happy. This was one of the few things that he put up from her.

"You remember the song," Katara said softly in their language, Ojuay (oh-joo-way).

"Of course I do. Do you know how many times Mom made me practice it?" Sokka asked.

"Well, you were always off key."

"I was six."

"I picked it up on key, and I was five." Katara stifled a giggle.

"That's because you believe," Sokka said. Katara turned towards him. They had had this conversation many times. "You believe that the song will actually bring peace to the land." Sokka looked out at the darkening sky. "That's what I admire about you, Katara. You have faith in something that you cannot see. That boggles my mind every night. How do you do it?"

"I don't know, Sokka. I just do. I see the world and I think, 'Wow. That's amazing. The Creator must have an artistic eye to make the world such a beautiful place.' It's automatic."

"I still don't understand. And the afterlife thing…I still can't get a grips on that."

"Doesn't help you to know that Mom is in a better place, not just rotting in the ground?"

"Well…"

"That's how it is for me. The afterlife gives me hope that there's something better out there for us who have done good…and a hell for those who are evil."

"That was a beautiful song, Katara," Aang, the 12-year-old monk said. He was silent through the whole conversation. He could feel tension rising between them, even if he could hardly understand what they were saying, so he changed the subject. It had been so long since he had heard Ojuay that he had forgotten what it sounded like. Most people spoke Fiage, the Fire Language. He could feel the Spirit of a Past Avatar give him the necessary tools to communicate with Katara and Sokka. This happened frequently.

"Thank you, Aang. It's a traditional song. Almost everyone in the village knows it, and I'm sure the Northerners know it too. Gran-Gran taught it to me."

"What's it about?"

"It's about peace between the Nations, and the hope that the One will stop the war," Sokka said.

"The One. The Creator," Aang said, thinking back to one of his teachings at the Air Temple. "Do _you_ believe in the One?"

"No. I don't. I don't believe in any of those entities."

"But you must believe in something. It gives you something to live for."

"I live for my family," Sokka said, just as the final traces of the sun slipped behind a patch of land. Sokka turned to watch it. "Let's land there. It looks like it's safe."

As if on cue, the whistling of a Fire Nation Rocket zoomed through the sky.

"Look out!" Aang screamed. Sokka jumped towards his sister and shoved her to the ground. The rocket exploded dangerously close. Some sparks flew into the saddle. The smell of gunpowder and smoke filled the air. More followed after the first. Aang took his glider, jumped and began fighting off the increasing amount of rockets and flaming rocks.

"Yes, that island looks safe," Katara said sarcastically. "You are a _real_ jinx, you know that?"

"Shut up, Katara. We need to navigate Appa through this mess. You do your water-magic thing, and I'll guide."

"It's _waterbending! _It's not magic!" Katara shouted. Sokka waved her off and jumped on Appa's neck. 'Just like Ice Dodging, just like Ice Dodging,' Sokka reminded himself. The rockets came through in the dozens. Aang couldn't keep them all back. "Hang in there, Aang, you're doing great!" Katara shouted.

'Feel for the Ocean's Core,' Katara thought. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the water below her. She clutched her hand around air, but it felt solid. She had the water. With a quick yank, it was up to her level. Fully taken over by the water's Power, Katara felt its rhythm thrumming through her veins. She could feel where to throw the water. Every time, it was a hit. The rockets went down one by one.

"Keep going, Katara!" Sokka and Aang called out. Katara's eyes snapped open, rendering her waterbending skills useless. The water-bat fell back to the sea. The sudden drop of power caused Katara to loose her footing and she fell off of Appa.

"Katara!" Sokka screamed. He jumped from his position and looked over the saddle. Katara was holding onto Appa's fur, towards his feet, but she was slowly slipping.

"Sokka, help me!" Katara screamed at her older brother. "I'm slipping!" She took a huge lunge down. "Sokka, help!"

"Hang on!"

"Hurry!" Sokka wrapped his foot in a spare rope and tied it to the saddle. "Sokka!"

There was hardly any fur left.

The rockets were still on full ricochet.

"Sokka!" Katara screamed once more, as her holding on the fur was lost. She was in air for two tenths of a second before Sokka's hand wrapped around her wrist. Katara looked up at her older brother. Tears were falling from her face. "Don't let go…" she whimpered. "Don't let go."

"I'll never let go," Sokka said. He felt gravity's tug on him increase as he dropped a few inches.

"Sokka! The rope!" The rope securing his feet was slipping. It wasn't going to last much longer. "Do something!"

"I can't! I'm stuck!" Sokka said. He looked past Katara. The water below them had to be at least 600 feet away. He was going to die.

Katara started to slip from his hands.

"Sokka, don't let go," she said through gritted teeth. "Don't let go!"

"I won't, I won't!" Just then…

…She slipped.

Katara had to have fallen for a good second before Aang came from behind her and caught her. Sokka let out a sigh of relief. He flipped himself and pulled on Appa's fur to get to the saddle again.

Aang held onto Katara as they glided back to the saddle. Her eyes were gleaming in the moonlight. He blushed as he felt his stomach drop. 'Best friend,' he reminded himself. 'No feelings like that for her.' They glided to the saddle, and Aang pulled Katara onto it.

"Thank you, Aang," Katara said. She hugged him tightly. Aang held on for a brief moment longer. He could smell her hair-perfume they had received as thank-you gifts from the nuns at the abbey. It smelt like snow…what a pretty smell…

"Uh…Aang…can you…uh…let go?" Katara asked. She wasn't trying to be mean or anything. She just wanted her arms back.

Sokka was in a corner. The past few moments running in his head over and over. He had dropped her. He had dropped his sister. Had it not been for Aang, his sister would have _died_. The sheer magnitude of this guilt took to the young waterbender's mind. A few tears fell from his cheeks.

"Sokka?" Katara tried, softly. "Sokka?" She moved to him and wrapped her arms around her brother. "Sokka, it's ok. It's ok."

"I dropped you, Katara. You could have died!" Sokka said, struggling to keep his tears down. Damn pride…always getting in the way!

"No she wouldn't. I was here," Aang said, trying to be optimistic.

"I promised Dad that I would protect you," he choked. "For that brief second…I thought I was going to loose you like Mom…and Yue…"

"Sokka," Katara said. She rocked him back and forth, trying to comfort him. "Sokka, shh…it's ok." He swallowed his pride and let the tears fall. "Shh…it's ok. I'm still alive…I'm not going anywhere."

All Aang could do was watch the siblings…

…Feeling guilty that he couldn't do anything…

…That he wasn't there in the beginning…

He knew of place that could help him…

…The Spirit Realm.

**bandgeek's music corner**

WOW! I love all of you guys who reviewed! OMG! I've never gotten this many reviews this quickly. Hope I didn't bore you with this five-page chapter. This is it _revised. _So, what did ya'll think? Was Sokka's break down too OOC? I didn't think so because he's supposed to be the protector and he almost lost Katara…and shock and yeah. w/e. Just post what you like and didn't like.

Uhh..oh, yes. Now I remember. Remember when I said I would pick between German and Inuit for the Water Tribe language? I chose neither. It's Dutch. Dutch is shorter than German and sounds better…I guess. I don't really know how it's supposed to sound. I had this great tune for Katara's song, but I can't put the melody here, now can I? I can't. So, sorry. Make up your own. I had so much fun writing this scene. I could just totally see this happening. Oh, and there won't be much more Spanish because that's the One's language. It's like Latin; no one speaks it anymore.

Here's the translation for Katara's song:

_Let the sky fall down/ __Into the ocean/ __Let the ocean rise up/ __To the sky/ __Sun has fallen down/ __Moon is rising high/ __Let the Dark rejoice_

_In the Light/ __Peace of all the Nations/ __Come to us now/ __Just as the twilight/ __Fades to the night/ __Air is all around us/ __Fire meeting water_

_Water meeting land/ __Peace come to us/ __We pray/  
_Amen

I would love to talk to you each individually on this sheet, giving you my thanks for reviewing, however, this is long enough as it is. So, from the bottom of my heart: thank you.

**Five** reviews and you get another review this week! Cookies to the first reviewer!

Go now:)


	3. Chapter 2

Budget Gone Astray

* * *

What in Agni's name where they going to do?

Kazu Chang, the Fire Lord's personal assistant could only stare at the documents in front of her. How was she going to present this to the Fire Lord? The results were dismal. Hell, one of their finest admirals had died. _Died! _Ozai was not going to be happy about this…oh Agni, he was not going to be happy.

Agni…and to think that his son, Taru…or something…Zuko, was still out there, searching for the damned Avatar. Kazu wanted to reach across the Sea and shake some sense into the child. "You're father's using you. Escape while you can!" She knew all of his inward secrets—the Fire Lord's—or at least a good few of them. The perks gained from being his assistant. Ha! Kazu rubbed her temples. She didn't even want this job. She was handpicked among many because she had "talent." Which roughly translated meant that Ozai wanted to sleep with her. Luckily, she hadn't stooped that low to accept to such an offer. What was he…forty-five? She didn't give two fucks that he was the Fire Lord. Dammit, there was still a thing called dignity.

A knock on the door shot Kazu into the real world. She dropped her quill and turned in her chair. "Come in!" she called. The door opened, revealing a teenage boy no older than fifteen. He had been captured by the Fire Nation in an Earth Nation attack, and now he was a slave. There was another person like that here…what was his name…he was Water Tribe though, that much she knew.

"Haru, what do you want?" Kazu asked. The earthbender handed her another scroll. It held the symbol of the Fire Nation's Treasury. "Is this the statement?" Haru nodded. Poor kid…fifteen, snatched from home and forced to push papers and send messages. She could only hope that the sex-driven "maidens" of the Council of Education hadn't found him. That was something no one should endure. "That all?"

"Yes, m'lady," he said, bowing. The young earthbender retreated in the dark shadows of the Palace halls. Kazu opened the statement with trembling hands. What she saw amazed her…in a bad way.

The Fire Nation was on a one-way ticket to bankruptcy.

"Oh, shit," Kazu said. Adding this to the problems at the North and the increasing rebels in the East made her migraine throb more.

"The Fire Lord is ready to hear from you," a soldier stated. Kazu sighed, picking up the documents, and walking out the door. She walked down a long corridor into a small room. Of course, this wasn't the Throne Room. It wasn't even a very important room—just a room. Flames licked the air. The temperature of the room was deathly warm, but Kazu knew better to complain.

She walked to the fireplace and bowed. "You have called me, Fire Lord Ozai?"

The fire shuddered and a figure of a man's face appeared. It was Ozai.

"Kazu. Good news from the North, I presume?" She sighed.

"I'm afraid not sir. The Water Tribe won the battle. Zhou is dead." She clenched her fists and closed her eyes, preparing herself the burning inferno that would be Ozai's anger. Nothing came.

"Zhou is dead? Well, that's too bad. And the boy?"

"He's still alive sir."

"WHAT?" The fireplace erupted with Ozai's anger. Kazu shrunk in fear. She raised her arm over her eyes, protecting them from the flames. This was the last thing she expected Ozai to become upset about. "That little cockroach! Doesn't he know when to stop?"

"With all due respect, sir, he's your _son_!"

"He's no son of mine!" Ozai roared. His eyes narrowed and the flames began to lower. Kazu lowered her arm. "Do you have the quarter statement?" Kazu nodded and took the scroll from her pocket. "Well, go on! Read it." Kazu cleared her throat, trying to stop it from closing on her.

"According to this document, recorded by the Fire Nation Treasury on the fourth day of the sixth month—"

"Get to the facts, woman!" Ozai demanded.

"Yes, m'lord." She cleared her throat once more. "We're…over budget."

"How much so?"

"Thousands of _suris_ are being used to provide for the troops in the Earth Division. 16.3 thousand suris to be exact. 34 hundred suris are being used to fund for the Avatar search. 56 hundred suris was used for the failed Northern siege—"

"Stop," Ozai said.

"Sir, there's more. We're about to face an economic downfall. With all the money pumped into the war, there's hardly any left for the people—" Desperation caught in her voice.

"I said stop," Ozai said. Kazu stopped and rolled the scroll. "What do you think we should do, Kazu? To rid ourselves of economic burden?" Kazu paused. She _wanted_ to cut the funds for the war and give back to the people. She wanted to run campaigns to get people to join the army—the numbers were below dismal this year. She wanted so much for the people of the Fire Nation…but she knew what Ozai wanted.

"We should eliminate the search for the Avatar…permanently," she said. She could feel hot tears well up in her throat. There was one thing to say about Zuko—at least as much as she knew. Although he was hot tempered, he was a good kid. He didn't deserve to die _this_ young. How old was he anyway…Agni, he was only 16 years…due for 17 in a couple of months. She hated this, but there was nothing she could do.

"Very good, Kazu. Very good. Now, take this…" A spark radiated through the room, and a parchment with a detailed assassination plan of Zuko. She trembled beneath the parchment, not wanting to show this to the Generals. "You will show this to the Generals and tell them to take this out immediately."

"Yes m'lord," Kazu said, bowing. "Is that all?"

"Yes. For now. You may leave, Kazu Chang." Kazu bowed once more and practically sprinted outside the chamber. She ducked inside her quarters and looked at the parchment…the plan. It was tactical and brutal. They were going to have a trial and everything. Zuko was going to be killed by his father's hand.

And there was nothing that Kazu could do about it. If the Fire Lord wished it, the Fire Lord received it.

"Almost like having a three year old run your country right smack into the ground," Kazu said to herself. She was needed at the Council of War soon to give the briefing. Kazu dressed in her ceremonial robes and gathered her things. She put out the fire manually, not being graced with firebending skills, and traveled out the door.

* * *

**bandgeek's music corner**

Wow! 8 more reviews! You guys kick complete and total ass, you know?

God…it's actually a short chapter. I kind of have mixed feelings about it. I kind of lost my style a bit there due to late-night runs at devientART. Do you know how cool the avatar fanart is there? omg! I'm so jealous! So, if it sounds a bit off, that's why.

Let's see…any questions to answer? Yes there are!

**gothic-ember: **Yes, this is a Zutara fic. It's just going to take until about chapter seven for the romance part to get there. Right now, I'm setting up the story so the romance can actually take place.

**Zachana16: **You hope it works out soon? Oo Honey, I'm just warming up! These characters are gonna go through hell and back just cause…I said so!

All right, you know what to do and when to do it!

7 reviews and if you're lucky, I'll finish chapter 3 and post it.

BTW! Just a heads up. Xmas break is almost over, and that means back to school. -- And my smallbore seaon starts soon + work, so I'm gonna be kind of busy. So if updates are a bit more...spread out, it's cause I've got a lot going on. TTFN!

Kai :)


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE:

The Council of War

* * *

Kazu Chang was way too young to be under this kind of pressure. She was barely 25 years of age, and she felt like she was balancing the world on her shoulders. As she walked down the narrow hallway of the Council of War, she couldn't help but feel claustrophobic. The sash that kept her garments together was too tight. Her tall shoes were too tight…although that's how they always were. Her makeup was itchy. The Emblem of Fire weighing her bun into the ground. Kazu reached the door…those wide mahogany jaws that would render the country powerless. In gold, surrounded by a black marble dragon, rested the Seal of the Fire Nation.

"The Seal of a country that I used to love." Her fingers traced the outline of the dragon…grace, honor. She tenderly touched the blaze of fire…power, passion. Grace and honor surrounding power and passion. The nation _used_ to be like that. They _used_ to be graceful. They _used_ to have honor. The last time she saw someone with an _ounce_ of honor was when Taru…no, Zuko was challenged with Agni Kai. Kazu had only been in service for three months when she saw this happen. It was a complete shock to her—what Ozai did to his son. She could tell that he was distant, even aloof from his son, but she never imagined that it was boiled down to absolute hate. Zuko refused to fight. When that devastating blow came to him…anger bubbled inside her…she wanted to slap that child, Azula for smiling, as if she was enjoying seeing her brother not only publicly humiliated, but also physically abused. She was a sick little bitch.

Kazu breathed in deeply, clutching the scroll from Ozai—the official plans to kill his son…legally. The fact that it was legal scared the shit out of her. She pushed the door open.

At once, the Assembly stood, noting her presence. She told them to sit. She hated this fake honor. They did this because if they didn't Ozai would barbeque them (an image of Ozai chomping on General Yu's leg, dripping with barbeque sauce entered her mind). They didn't revere or respect her. She was just the middleman because Ozai was too much of a fat ass to leave his damned room once and a while.

"Gentlemen," Kazu started. She held up the parchment. "I hold the Fire Lord's new plans." She cleared her throat. She began to speak when something caught in her throat. It surprised her, this new lack of ability to speak. She looked at the parchment. The life of a human being lay in her hands, glaring at her, _daring_ her even _not_ to tell them its secrets. She couldn't do it…she couldn't do it. "It is with great sadness that I write to you, the Council, these findings. We have found the Blue Spirit. He is one of us—a traitor. He took the Avatar from the valiant hands of Admiral Zhao and let him go. He is responsible for the death of Admiral Zhao as well. The Blue Spirit is my first-born son, Zuko Li. He is hereby charged with treason and sentenced to death here in the capitol."

The room was silent. Kazu cursed herself. She could have made something up; she could have lied. Anything to keep this child alive. He _was_ only a child after all.

"How much is it going to cost to find him?" General Ubiatis of the _Este _Sector of the Earth Kingdom said.

"None at all," a silvery voice said from behind them. Kazu turned, eye-to-eye with a young woman, 19 years old at the least. She had a small frame and bright gray eyes. Her hair was dark red, almost black.

"Excuse me?" Kazu asked, surprised by the woman's entrance.

"My name is Rhia Xiang. But you may call me Hia," she said, bowing. Her silver eyes danced in the firelight.

"And how can you make this search so cheap? How did you even know about it in the first place?"

"The Fire Lord hired me. I can find anything, anyone." The room was quiet, in shock, at the strange girl in front of them.

"Where is he, then?" Admiral Wi Commander of the Southern Water Tribes said.

"Got anything that belongs to him? All I need to do is touch it." Hia looked around the room, waiting for the men to hand her something. "You have nothing?" her smile fell from her face, but was replaced by a conniving frown. "Well, we're just going to have to fix that. Find me something in the next 24 hours, and I'll have him back here on a spit in less than a week."

"Is that all?" Kazu asked, her anger bubbling inside her.

"Yes, that's all." Hia looked at Kazu for a brief second. She leaned in and whispered into Kazu's ear. "It would be wise, Madame Kazu, for you _not_ to think of the boy. He is a traitor and must be killed." Kazu stared at the woman in shock. She hadn't exposed her thoughts aloud, had she? Hia retreated, smiled and left the room.

It became deathly silent.

"That was interesting," General Ji said, attempting the break the odd silence. He looked at Kazu. "Can we trust her?"

"I don't know. The Fire Lord appointed her, so I guess she's clean."

"We should run a security check on her anyway," Captain Wei said. Kazu felt a tremor of anger in her.

"We don't have the funding for a security check on someone who has been hired by the Fire Lord himself," she said through gritted teeth. "We hardly have the funding for other things—"

"But once the Earth Kingdom is in our hands—" an unknown general said.

"'Once the Earth Kingdom is in our hands'…we've been saying that for the past six years," Kazu said. She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I apologize for that. What I mean to say is—"

"Don't apologize—" General Ubiatis started.

"Shut up, mate!" Kazu said. "Have you forgotten that the walls have ears? Do you want to be _killed_?" Kazu hissed. Ubiatis shut up.

"All right, Zuko's going to die in about a week or two then. What about the rest of the problems? People are dying in the streets at an alarming rate."

"Well, with the money that we'll save from the Avatar nonsense, we can begin to bring back the food and medical attention that they need."

"But will it be enough?" General Xi asked in a tender voice. Kazu refused to look into the man's eyes. General Xi was about 60-years-old and still active duty. The constant battles required a man of his experience to come back to the field. He was one of the few that still truly cared about the Fire Nation. If she looked into his eyes, she would start bawling. All that was in the golden embers was pain and sorrow.

"It should be, General. For the love of Agni, I sure hope it does."

* * *

**bandgeek's corner**

Woots! Update! Holla!

More Kazu! She truly is now, my favorite OC to write! And, Hia! Ooh, the sadistic woman who's on her way to kill Zuko! Dun, dun, dun... OC goodness for ALL::squee:

Wow! Thank you all for reading and reviewing my fic! Even those who don't leave reviews, I STILL LOVE YOU!

Let me say now that there are going to be fewer frequent updates. Remember how a new chapter was up everyday for three days? Well…know that school's started…it's going to be a little tricky.

ALSO! I have a beta. For those of you who don't know, that's someone who proofs (my God, is my grammar horrible. I'm in HONORS 10 too:le-gasp:) and gives me suggestions. I'd like you all to applaud Ms. cyrusdragon for stepping up to the plate and helping me out with this tangle of webs we call fanfiction. (That's reason number two that I'm not going to be posting as often. Gotta wait for the editor's a-ok to put it out.)

Well, my fans, my friends, as I bid you all farewell, remember this…

7 REVIEWS MAKES ME HAPPY! FIRST REVIEWER GETS A COOKIE!

Kai


	5. Chapter 4

**Forest with the Fountain**

* * *

_"The goddess of dreams, born from the Dark, roamed the Skies, giving the mortals below them dreams. She slipped into homes at night and enticed children with fascinating thoughts of futures and gave them imagination. During the Time of Strife, mortals came to her, asking what they should do. The goddess gave them hope…hope that tomorrow would be a better day._

_The Light saw this and became jealous of the Dark's rising approval among the mortals. He sent out Fire to destroy the goddess. Fire found the goddess in a serene forest. In a quick flash, he killed her. Her death was felt through the land as dreams shattered and hope vanished. The Dark found her daughter's body and mourned for her. She built a marble fountain and placed the goddess' body in it. As the Dark cried for her daughter, the body became a liquid like substance flowing through the fountain._

_To this day, in the Spirit Realm, all one needs to do is look into this fountain, and they will relive any memory that brought forth tears, in memory of the destruction of Dreams, and the mourning of the Night."_

Sokka was in a state of shock. That was putting it nicely. After the Fire Nation rocket incident, he had clammed up. He practically lost all confidence in himself. He had almost died that day, but what made it worse was that Katara almost died as well—and it would have been his fault.

Aang, although 112 years old, could not comprehend Sokka's sadness. Katara was fine. In fact, all she needed was a good night's rest, and she was ready to conquer the world again. Aang tried to cheer up Sokka by performing his famous spinning-marbles trick or by tempting him with food. Nothing worked.

"Katara, why is Sokka like this?" Aang asked one night around the campfire. Sokka had already gone to bed, his light snores providing an ambience. He truly wanted to help his friend…and it was an excuse to be close to Katara. Kill two birds with one stone!

"He gets like this sometimes. Don't worry about it. Give him about a week and he'll be back to his normal, cynical self." Katara chuckled. Aang didn't like her answer—it was too vague.

"But…why?" Aang asked. Katara sighed and lowered her eyes.

"He feels that it was his fault for dropping me."

"But it wasn't—"

"I know. It just takes some time for him to realize that and move on. He's very protective. Our father told him to watch over me and Gran-Gran, to make sure that nothing happens to us. Sokka took this very seriously."

"I see…"

"Just give him a few days, and he'll be good as new." Katara smiled. Aang attempted to pull his mouth into a smile, but the sudden attack of butterflies made it come out crooked. "Are you ok, Aang?" Katara asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Katara laughed and patted his head.

"You're so cute." She planted a kiss on his bald head. Aang had to use every ounce of self-control to keep himself from shooting up into the air…

…Which resulted in him turning a fine shade of magenta.

"Well, I'm going to bed. It's getting pretty late," she said, a yawn backing up her statement.

"Ok. See you in the morning," Aang said, the goofy grin still plastered on his face. He practically skipped into his sleeping bag.

Hours later, he woke up…but it didn't feel like he was awake. Looking around, he saw that he was in a serene forest. Light trickled through the willows leaves like a waterfall. The grass was as soft as cotton, minus the itchy factor. Amazed at the sheer marvel of the redwoods' height, Aang traveled by foot.

"This is amazing!" He said. "I wonder how high these trees actually go." He started to jump when something caught his eye. This produced in a half-jump—something with painful results. His body slammed into the earth, but he felt nothing. "Hey…what's going on?" he pondered. He looked up and saw a large, white marble fountain.

"Wow…" was all he could muster to say. He stood up, forgetting that he no longer had the ability to feel pain (which would actually come in handy, incase there were any firebenders here.)

"Hello, Aang," said a soft voice. Aang perked, hearing his name.

"Who's there?" He pulled himself into a fighting position.

"Aang, do not be alarmed. I come in peace." A figure emerged from behind the fountain. She was dressed in traditional waterbender's clothing. Her dark hair was pulled behind her in a long braid. Her bangs clasped and pulled behind her ear. She had large, blue eyes…so caring and understanding. Her milk chocolate skin brought out the necklace she wore around her neck. She looked so familiar…he couldn't place it.

"Who _are_ you?" he asked. The woman before him chuckled.

"I am who you think I am," she said with a chuckle.

"You're Katara's mom? Wow!"

"Yes. You may call me Uri."

"Where am I?"

"The Spirit Realm, didn't you know?" Aang recoiled in shock. This was the first time he had crossed over without being in a shrine. Uri chuckled again. "You don't have to be in a shrine, Aang…just in a peaceful state. When you were asleep, your mind subconsciously sought me, knowing that I'd be able to help with Sokka's present state."

"Would you?"

"Of course. You are here after all, aren't you?" she cocked an eyebrow in a mischievous way. She summoned him to stand next to her by the fountain.

"You look just like Katara, but you're so different at the same time." Uri laughed heartily at this.

"Yeah. Katara got her father's personality. Sokka got mine, which is why I understand what he's going through."

"What is he going through?"

"What Katara told you. He's in shock because he almost lost his baby sister. But there are other factors involved as well. Come…look into the Fountain with me." Aang poked his head over the basin and looked in. The water rippled and the scenes around them changed. "Hang on, Aang," Uri said. He didn't have to be told twice. He held onto the fountain for dear life. The scenes whirled and it felt like he was spinning…

…Faster and faster…

…And then it stopped.

They were at the Southern Tribe: Katara and Sokka's home growing up. He and Uri walked along the pathways of it. The village was in a dead silence. Black soot fell from the skies, an indicator that the Fire Nation was here. Nighttime was approaching them—a night with no moon.

"Search for them. Kill them all," a gruff voice said. Aang couldn't place it. A group of thirty-to-forty Fire Soldiers stormed the small village. Homes were destroyed; bodies were strewn into the streets. Those on fire dived into the snow, screaming from the pain. Aang gasped. He saw Uri being dragged from the small igloo by Fire Nation soldiers. Aang looked past the igloo and saw two young children—ten and nine—running. It was Sokka and Katara.

"If she has kin, kill them as well," the brute general said. The soldiers dashed behind the igloo and searched for the children.

"Come," Uri said. She guided him through the snow—it began to storm. She led him to a small cavern at the edge of the horizon. It was just large enough for two children. It was far enough away from the village for them to be spared.

Katara, nine years old was sobbing.

"Katara, you need to be quiet," Sokka said.

"They took Mom!" She clutched to her brother, the sobs taking over her small body. "They're going to kill her." Sokka knew this fact; Aang could read it on his face.

"No they're not. They're going to see that she's a nice person and let her go." Katara looked at her brother.

"Really?" she wiped her eye.

"Really." Sokka tried to smile. "You'll see. You just need to be quiet." Katara slowly drifted to sleep, the run completely wearing her out. When Sokka saw that she was asleep, he slipped out into the blizzard.

At first, his steps were small, but they broke into a sprint. He tripped on a stray rock headfirst into the snow and began crying himself. He screamed curses against the One and several other gods that Aang had never heard of. He cried out apologies to his mother for not being there for her. The sobs became softer and the scene rippled. A short woosh of air brought Aang and Uri back to the forest.

"Why did you show me that?" Aang asked.

"Ever since that day, Sokka's been guilty for my death. If you were to tell him that I said that it was ok…that he needed to stop blaming himself, maybe he'd change. Right now, he's got a culmination of emotions and guilt. There was Yue, me, and recently Katara…I think if you told him that I forgive and don't blame him, he'd snap out a little easier." Uri looked at the fountain. "If someone had told me that when I was younger, I wouldn't have run away."

"You ran away?"

"Yes, Aang. To the Earth Kingdom, but that's a story for a different day. Right now…it's time for _you_ young man to return to the Mortal Realm so you can get some sleep." Uri hugged Aang tightly. "Be brave and be good. And watch out for some stormy weather ahead, alright?"

"Sure." Uri released him and there was a white flash. He was back.

"Sokka! Get up!" Aang said. He practically pounced the fifteen-year-old. "Get up! I have something important to tell you." Sokka rolled in the sleeping bag and waved the airbender away. "Sokka!"

"Not now, Aang. 'M tired." Soft snores escaped the teenager. Aang sighed. He didn't want to resort to this.

"I saw your mother." This made him perk up.

"You what?"

"I saw your mother. I went to the Spirit Realm."

"How…why…what?"

"I'm not sure how it happened either. She said that I was in a peaceful state and that I wanted to cross over."

"Why would you want to do that?" Sokka asked. "What possessed you to go there?"

"I wanted to help."

"Help with _what_? What would conversing with my mother do?"

"She wanted me to tell you something."

"_What_?"

"She says that she forgives you." Sokka stopped. His outrage dimmed to a light simmer.

"She forgives me?"

"Yeah. She said that she never blamed you in the first place, but you weren't going to buy that, so she said she forgave you."

"You're lying!" Sokka said, his anger reaching peak again.

"No I'm not! Why would I lie about something like this?" Aang said quite loudly in defense.

"Shut up, do you want to wake up Katara?" Sokka hissed.

"Look. She's just trying to make you feel better. Those deaths weren't your fault. You're too hard on yourself. You need to let it go."

"But…I could have…"

"No. There was nothing that you could do. It's _not your fault_."

"Are…are you sure she said that?"

"Is your mom Uri of the Southern Water Tribe?" Aang said. He could see Sokka finally responding in the right way to his words.

Sokka stopped, simply looking out into space. "'M tired." He rolled back into his sleeping bag. A grin crept over Aang's face. He could see that he reached Sokka.

A blue figure stood next to him. Aang jumped at the sudden arrival. Seeing it was Uri, he relaxed.

"Good job, kid," she said with a wink.

"No problem, Uri," Aang said. Uri smiled. She turned to her children and kissed each on the cheek before she departed.

* * *

**bandgeek's music corner…**

Wow! I have returned from the dead. Pretty cool, huh?

Well, I'm quiet proud of this chapter. I had many hair-pullingout moments with this chapter because my _beta_...thought that the 1st ending "could have been better." Which meant that she though it twas bad. -- Just jokes! You know I love you cyrusdragon! Ooh, and big shoutouts to my friend WaffleIron. He works with me! HELLO1!

Ok, some are asking me for the Zutara. The Zutara shall come. Remember, patience isa virtue! Anywhoos, next chapter is A ZUKO CHAPTER SO YA'LLS BETTER BE HAPPY! XD

Well, no review minimum. It doesn't matter how many reviews I get (they just make me really happy). But between work and practice and school, updates are going to be sparce no matter how many reviews I get.

Whatcha waitin' for? Hit that button in the lower left hand corner. It shalt make mes muy contento:-D So, be gone! Be joyous and merry for January is almost over and that means days closer to AVATAR SEASON 2! Shiggity W00t!

Kai


	6. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE:

**Warnings**

* * *

Prince Zuko rested on a pole in the sparring ring. His shallow and sparse breathing, desperately tried to enter his tired lungs. It had been a long time since he had sparred like that, and his muscles were straining just to stand up. He wanted to sit, but sitting was the worst thing he could do. Zuko reached for a glass of water and downed it with desperation. He walked around the ring in a circle, stretching his arms, letting the feeling come back to them, and drinking. Finally, his breathing came down to an even pace. 

He breathed the stale scent of the sparring room: sweat, blood and tears…well, not so much tears. No. No tears had been shed here in a long time. It smelt like the sparring room of the Fire Palace. Memories crept through the dark corners of his mind. Hours practicing basic techniques; making sure that each was perfect to the very millimeter. Months of one-on-one combat: disarmament and pain…Agni, there had been plenty of pain to spread. Zuko closed his eyes, trying to push the memories back. Not now, not now, he told himself. Maybe later I'll run over these thoughts, but not now.

"Prince Zuko!" His cheery uncle called from above. The portly man walked down the stairs, a smile draped over his face.

"What, Uncle?" Zuko asked, thankful for the sudden arrival, allowing the thoughts to disperse like wild birds.

"What are you doing here? It's Music Night!" Zuko rolled his eyes. "I know that you don't…_particularly_ (that was an under statement) enjoy Music Night, but it's such a beautiful evening. You should be enjoying the fresh air, not wasting away below the deck."

"I'm not wasting away," Zuko spat. He wasn't a people person. He wasn't a night person. He didn't want fresh air.

"Please. At least for five minutes? Fresh air is good for the body, especially after a long workout." Iroh, the old man, finally took a good look at the strained prince, the sweat and burn marks on the floor. "How long have you been down here?"

"A while," Zuko said, as vaguely as possible, avoiding his uncle's glance.

Iroh peered at his nephew with a stern eye, trying to get the real elapsed time from him. A while could mean anywhere from twenty minutes to four hours.

"Zuko…"

"A while! I swear; I haven't overexerted myself. I'm fine." His uncle heaved a worried sighed, giving Zuko a pang of guilt.

"Have you at least had some water? Remember that time when you were fifteen…?"

Zuko winced at the memory. He had been so determined to get a move right that he trained for four hours strenuously without any water. He woke up about three days after that little incident. Since then, water had added to Iroh's long list of nags.

"Yes, Uncle," Zuko said. Iroh's expression lightened. He wished to press on about the conditions Zuko was practicing under, but he thought best to remain silent.

"Please. Just come out for a little bit," Iroh pressed more.

Zuko was tired. He didn't have the energy to argue tonight. It would be easier to agree to his elderly uncle than to demand his peace and silence. He reached for a towel and dried his neck and back.

"All right. But only for a few minutes."

Iroh smiled. Zuko threw on his shirt and followed his elderly relative up the stairs.

He was right, Zuko thought as they reached the deck. It is a nice night. It was a clear night: the stars could be seen for miles out. There seemed to be an influx of those flickering lights since they passed the port. A milky-like sheen passed from the east to the west of the sky. He could see variation of the star's color, from red to blue and to yellow: a phenomenon that he'd only seen twice in his life. That one time when he was six and the other time…

The air was still, caring a warm breeze. The sea was sloshing lazily at their sides, and they were traveling a steady pace.

Music filled Zuko's ears, taking him away with a distant memory.

"Won't you join us?" Iroh asked, prodding the young boy. He snapped back into reality; his memories fading like dying embers. He was already walking to the small campfire they had set up.

"Uncle…" Zuko said with exhaustion. "I really, _really_ don't want to play the Sungi horn tonight."

"You don't have to. Just come out and enjoy the air and indulge in the music. Music's good for the soul." Iroh smiled. Zuko raised his one eyebrow. Weird…akward…moment…

"Uncle," Zuko pleaded as Iroh dragged him to the small ring of men. He was tired. He just wanted to get some sleep. Fatigue was even clouding his desire to find the Avatar.

"Prince Zuko!" Lieutenant Jee said merrily. The Admiral held a canteen filled with high spirits, taking a hearty swig of it. "How nice of you to drop in!" Zuko rolled his eyes. _I'm here against my will._ "Come lads, what shall we play for the young Fire Prince here?" Naturally, a clash of song names exploded from the nearly drunk soldiers. "Quiet down, quiet down! Do you want to wake the spirits?" He gave a jovial laugh.

"What do you want to hear, Hai?" Jee asked. Hai was a young recruit picked up not too long ago. He was a timid young man, no older than fifteen.

Hai whispered something, hardly audible to Zuko who was sitting a person away from him.

"Speak up, lad! You're one of us. There's nothing to be afraid of." Jee shot a look at Zuko. The boy had a streak of racism in him.

"Summer's End," Hai said stronger. The crowd oohed. It took all of his self-control not to make a movement. He had to keep his composure. No emotion, no emotion, no emotion: his mantra. He couldn't help the tirade of memories pushing through to the front of his mind. He bit his bottom lip; holding all the emotion behind him.

"Well! That's a particularly difficult song. A song that requires a Sungi horn player I do believe…" Jee gave Zuko an encouraging look, eyes glistening with a drunken stupor. Zuko hated the man. Seriously, he _hated _this man. Glaring at him, he began to leave: anger skyrocketing to almost breaking point. Playing was the last thing he wanted to do. The absolute last thing he wanted to do.

Zuko began to stand when his uncle lightly held him down.

"Do it for Akida," Iroh said softly in his good ear. "She hasn't heard the song that brought her only son to sleep in seconds in a long time." Zuko paused. Akida…the former Fire Lady…his mother.

He tried to push the barging childhood memories.

Jee pulled the Sungi horn from behind him and gave it to Zuko. The crewmen cheered as Zuko took the instrument from the middle-aged admiral. Zuko glared at Jee, his single good eye telling Jee that he hated his guts and that he owed him so much after that night.

He sat in the center, next to the burning fire. He placed his lips over the mouthpiece, took a deep breath and began to play the haunting first notes.

Physically, he was still on the ship. Mentally, he had fallen into a trench of unforgiving recollections.

"Mom!" A young boy, roughly five years old said. He bounded from the steps in the West Garden. His mother was walking through the cement paths, admiring the flowers and shrubbery. She turned to greet her son. A warm smile draped her face, her honey colored eyes shining in the sun. 

"_Zuko. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with your father and uncle?"_

"_I can't find them," Zuko said. "So I came out here."_

"_Well, I hope they know where to find you," Akida laughed. Her son outreached his arms, requesting to be lifted. Akida propped Zuko on her hipbone. "Where to, my son?" Zuko looked around. He had seen much of the palace already—a result of his burning curiosity. But he hadn't seen _this _part of the palace just yet. The armory and the library were always his favorite places over the gardens. Well, if there was a time for some quality mother-son bonding, this was a prime opportunity. Zuko pointed in the western direction. His mother beamed and trekked towards the Lower Quarters._

_The only way to reach the Lower Quarters was down a pair of old, decapitating stairs. Branches of trees draped down, attempting to reach the dirt ground. The sky faded away, a stream of light trickling through the sparse leaves like rain. Akida began to hum a bittersweet song. Zuko watched the surroundings pass him with taut inquisitiveness. They reached a clearing._

_The trees folded around the area, as if they were bowing to the respective royals. Akida's eye lit up with recognition. "Oh! It hasn't changed!" She sat Zuko down. "This is where my cousin and I used to practice firebending! I can't believe it's still here!" A fire emerged over her hand, licking the palm and the fingers. Her eyes looked into it, fading in her childhood. Little Zuko began to entertain himself with his own firebending and the dirt. Reminiscing _

"_Zuko! Get out of there." She picked up her son again. "Now when we get back, you're going to have to take a bath." He wrinkled his nose. "And I _know_ how fond you are of personal hygiene." She sighed. "Well, then. Let's get going." As they walked back up the stairs, Akida hummed the song again._

"_Momma, what's that?" Zuko asked, leaning his head in the curve of his mother's neck. _

"_A song. One of my favorites. It's called, 'Summer's End.' I used to play this really well on the Sungi horn."_

"_Can you teach me?" She stopped and looked at her son quizzically. Normally, people hated playing the Sungi horn for it's lack of main melodies. However, "Summer's End" was one of those few songs that the deep, entrancing melodies of the Sungi horn could pull off. _

"_Of course, my son. Of course."_

Emerging from this bittersweet memory, Zuko played the final note. Reality began to fall back in place. He was no longer three in the protective arms of his protective mother in the Fire Nation Palace. He was almost 17 years, banished, and his mother had been long dead. He stared at the instrument in his hands. He picked up the Sungi horn _because_ of his mother.

_I'm sorry I wasn't there,_ he thought.

He looked up, his usual hard, cold demeanor back on his face. The crew gaped at him. Only Jee, Iroh and Hai looked at him understanding. None expected the crowned prince to give such an emotional performance. The silence was overwhelming. He exposed a part of himself that he'd rather stay hidden. utter and complete crap

"What are you looking at?" Zuko demanded. He stood up, threw the instrument on the ground. "I told you I didn't want to play," he mumbled as he walked away from the circle.

He hated music night. _Hated _it. Spite and malice shot through his veins. Fire licked the area around his fingertips, sinuously gliding up his arm. He could feel the anger and its energy pulsating through his body, almost to the breaking point.

He burst into the sparring room; exploding with punches, kicks and profanities. Fire shot through his extremities.

The heat in the room was soaring to extreme temperatures. Sweat poured down his face and back.

He threw his shirt off and continued to fight his demons.

"Zuko…Zuko!" Iroh called. The old man tried to get into the sparring room, but it was locked.

Zuko pretended not to hear his uncle's voice. He couldn't stop.

He had to keep going,

had to keep going,

_had to keep going_!

Getting air in his lungs was a daunting task.

His muscles begged him to stop.

The rising temperature begged for release.

The metal sheeting in the corners began to turn hot white and slightly melt.

He was in his own domain now.

Kick, punch, swing, inhale, exhale, release, repeat.

The air wavered with the heat.

There was no air.

The room became dark.

The air was gone.

No more.

* * *

**bandgeek's music corner**

This chapter, is for you guys. That's right! You, reading this…right now! This is for you! All of you. This is the first time that I have _ever_, EVER received 50 reviews in my history of fanfiction writing. For that, I thank you. You have my eternal gratitude. :bows: All of you who are reading kick ass, that's all I can say. You KICK ASS!

Well…for all you kick ass readers/reviewers, how did you like the chapter? Is Zuko too OOC? He's a tricky lil' bastard to write, so hope that it was in character enough and enjoyable. And when's the Zutara coming in? Sorry, no can reveal right now. I will say that your patience will pay off soon…or will it:evil chuckle:

Well then, next chapter shall be, I declare…Iroh & Zuko. This chapter is a little bastard too, so it'll be a while till the next update. However, this chapter is roughly 6 pages on MSWord, so you guys better be happy! Can you beleive that I was planning on this only being 10 chapters? Oh, and if anyone's good at writing fight scenes, PM me soon because I'm getting there...and I suck and battle scenes, if this strange angst-scene was anything to show for it.

That's all for now! So, hit the mauve button and make me happy! l8r...

Kai : D


	7. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX:

HORIZONS

* * *

The prince was sleeping. 

Agni, the boy did not respond to raw emotions well. Striking the air with fists full of fire caused the air around him to practically disintegrate. He passed out. Luckily, the medic was on duty. A few burns here and there were patched up and they gave him a deep sedative.

The prince was sleeping.

Iroh sighed and pulled himself from his chair next to the fallen prince. He shook his head as he made his way to the deck. The sky was a bright blue, the golden sun hanging in high noon like an ornament. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the wind was calm. The waters were still as glass. Storms were a-brewing somewhere—possibly the east. Judging by the pristine calmness of the area, it would hit within 24-hours.

He gripped the ship's railings, looking out over the bow. He recounted the events that happened in the North exactly one month ago. Surely he and Zuko were now targeted men. It was only by the graces of Agni that they had found the old ship and an even greater miracle that the former crew was unharmed, save for a few cuts and bruises and Lieutenant Jee's fractured ribs.

Iroh wondered what the spirits had in store for them.

Zuko was still searching for the Avatar—the endless search that would no doubt end with someone getting hurt. Iroh chuckled at the irony of this thought. However, they were moving oh-so-slightly slower. Zuko had lost something in the North. Perhaps…just perhaps…he was beginning to see the truth…

Well, there was always hope.

The day progressed with daunting labor. As the sun crossed the horizon's borders, and Light retreated behind the Water, Dark emerged, bleeding into the sky. Indigo met with scarlet…symbolism emerging from nature. Were the spirits trying to tell him something?

Iroh heard a low groan and scuffle of feet, struggling to reach the deck. The prince struggled to reach the top. Iroh heard him reach the railing and collapse over it. Iroh stood next to his nephew.

"Beautiful, no?" Iroh asked, motioning to the sky. The regal reds and blissful blues still continued their dance. "Harmony in nature—"

"Uncle. I have no time for your proverbs and sayings and…stuff like that," his voice faded to a soft whisper.

"It wasn't a proverb. Just an observation." Silence. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Agitated."

"What else is new?" Iroh heaved a chuckle.

"What happened?" Zuko asked, rubbing his forehead.

"You passed out," Iroh said nonchalantly. "Normally what happens when you rob yourself of oxygen."

"How long have I been out?" Iroh looked at the sky. Night was now upon them.

"I'd say about…16 hours."

"Have we found the Avatar?"

"Not yet, my nephew, but have faith. He has probably settled for tonight. We shall look in the morning." Zuko's right eyebrow twitched. The gulls began to converse as the prince and his elder uncle remained silent.

"I'm sorry about last night," Iroh said quietly. Zuko's eyes shut his eyes tightly. "I thought that…you'd…feel better if you reconciled with your past." Zuko stood up, glaring at his uncle.

"Feel better? Feel better? You thought that getting me to think about my dead mother would make me **feel better?"** He stood; his six-foot-two frame hovered over his uncle's mere five feet-eight drastically. "You thought that…seriously, reconcile with my past? Mom died, ok? She's dead. There's nothing that you could do, that I could do that would bring her back!"

Fumes rushed from his nostrils and fire licked his fingertips and shoulders.

"Zuko, try to understand."

"What's there to understand? I put that behind me for a reason!"

"But I know that Akida—"

"Don't **talk **to me about my mother! I don't want to hear about your trip to the spirit realm **again **and how you think that you can talk to the spirits! I. Don't. CARE!"

With that, the fire around him exploded in a small fireball. Iroh caught the fire and spun it until it became a small flicker. He squeezed his fingers together, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

And he, the elder general, left.

* * *

Hours trickled by, the tension in the air thick enough to penetrate. Iroh had found solace in meditating. Zuko, still exhausted from last night's events retreated to the medic's room. The working soldiers were slightly disconcerting, not quite sure what was going on between the family members. 

They waited, uneasily for the return of either of them…for something to do. If anything, the relationship between the uncle and nephew had been entertaining and their hours of bickering helped the time roll by. But today's argument was…different. Oh so very different…

"I heard he snapped and attacked the uncle."

"I heard the uncle attacked him." Jee sighed exasperatedly. He rose from his seat and set his drink down.

"All of you who would question the relationship of the Dragon of the West and his nephew are seriously demented. There's no way that either would attack the other. There was an argument. That's all." He sat again and took a swig of his drink.

"What are we going to do?" Chu said. He, bored as hell, ran his hand through his raven hair.

"Relax, possibly. Give your fried nerves a break," Jee said.

"Relax? What is this thing called relaxing?" Hahn said laughing. "We haven't relaxed since we were in the Fire Nation."

"Things weren't really relaxed there, either," Jee said sardonically. "When was the last time anyonewas relaxed?"

"A hundred years ago," retorted Hahn. "Before this stupid war and someone's desire for total domination."

"Shut up, do you want to be killed?"

"Better killed than living this dump of life."

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Come quick!" a helmsman ran across the deck, terror captive in his eye.

"Jiro, Jiro, calm yourself. What is it?" asked Jee. Jiro, the helmsman, buckled and held his knees, gasping for breath.

"Fire Nation ships…coming this way…**bi**gship," Jiro said, gasping for breath. "You'd better come look."

"Tell General Iroh and Prince Zuko. This is news they'd want to hear," Jee said, pointing to Hahn and Chu.

"Yes sir," the two said. They dashed away.

"Who is it?" Jee asked, returning to Jiro.

"I'm not sure, lieutenant. It can't be Zhao…"

"No. Zhao's dead." He heaved a sigh. "I believe that the Fire Lord has found us."

"A smaller one is coming this way!" echoed the husky voice of Kyo. "What do we do, Lieutenant?"

"Get ready to fight," he said simply to Kyo. "Get ready to fight."

"Lieutenant, what is going on?" Iroh.

"Sir, we've spotted Fire Nation ships. There's a smaller one on its way here—full speed."

"How far away?"

"About 20 knots."

"How fast is it moving?"

"By the looks of it, 11 knots an hour."

"It'll be here in a little over an hour. Are we ready to defend?"

"More than ready sir."

"Lieutenant Jee! It's getting faster! And we've spotted the Avatar's flying bison."

"Oh Agni. What else could go wrong today?" Face-slap. Cue Zuko.

"Lieutenant! What is the meaning of this?" Cue Zuko. Face-slap.

"Zuko, your father has found us…and we've found the Avatar."

"Ahh…perfect timing. We capture the Avatar and return home in under an hour. Tell me—"

"Prince Zuko, your father's appearance is not good. You and I both need to go into hiding."

"Uncle…"

"12 knots…13 knots. Sir, they're accelerating at 1 knot per second."

"How are they doing that? Even the best Fire Nation ships can't do that."

"14 knots…"

"I don't know sir."

"What's going on?"

"Zuko, hush!"

"They're closing in!"

"What are we going to do?"

"Why haven't they attacked yet?"

"Uncle, release me!"

"Shut that boy up, or I'll do it myself!"

"He doesn't mean it."

"The vessel has stopped sir. They seem peaceful."

"Nothing's peaceful in the Fire Nation. Don't try to speed up. With that strange power, I'm sure they'll be able to catch up."

"Sir, someone's coming aboard."

"For Agni's sake, Hahn, don't give me a play-by-play."

"It's a woman sir," Jiro.

"A woman?" Iroh, Zuko, Hahn and Lieutenant Jee questioned simultaneously.

"She wishes to speak to the Dragon of the West. It is of utmost urgency."

"Thank you Jiro," Iroh said. "Who was this woman?"

"Her name was…Chang Kazu."

"Chang Kazu?" A spark of recognition. "Agni, what's she doing here?"

"You knew her sir?" Jee, raised eyebrow.

"Yes. Her father was my lieutenant general during Ba Sing Sei."

"Can we trust her?"

"I'm almost sure of it…I'll go by myself, just to be safe."

"Be safe, General Iroh." Bow from Jee.

"Thank you."

Iroh walked around the corner to find himself face-to-face with a woman he hadn't seen in over 14 years: Chang Kazu. Floods of memories peaked in his mind. She had grown much and looked just like her mother. Fear held in her bright brown eyes. Determination budged its way out in her facial expressions. Her long dark brown hair was tied in a traditional topknot and she was dressed in the finest silks. His son's little shadow was no longer "little."

"Kazu?" Iroh asked. Kazu nodded. It took all of her self control to keep her composure. This man had helped her family so much. He never complained when Kazu followed his son around everywhere…even to the day of his death. They embraced in a tight and missed hug. "It's good to see you, my dear." They pulled back. "Why in Agni's name are you here?"

"Iroh, I have bad news," she said. "The Fire Lord has learned of your treachery." Iroh hung his head.

"This day was to come."

"And you think that's bad.Agni, he's hired this woman…no, this girl to kill both of you, but her main target is Zuko. She's on the larger boat that's about 50 knots away from here. She's crazy, I swear it. She likes her job way to much. No one, not even the Yu Yan Archers, I believe enjoy killing as much as she does." Her speech became muddled and slurred, words running into each other. She picked at her fingernails nervously.

"Be calm, Little Shadow. Who is this girl? A child you say?"

"Her name is Xiang Rhia. But she goes as Hia. She's a trained assassin, probably not much older than Zuko…and she has..." She glanced around for prying ears and eyes. "A Gift."

"A Gift?" Iroh asked, eyes widening and voice dropping.

"Yes. She has the Gift of Finding. She can touch something and instantly she can find the person who owns that item."

"I thought the Gift Holders had died out. They're supposed to be legendary!" Iroh said.

"And you're capture of Ba Sing Sei was supposed to be legendary as well," she retorted. Quickly turning away, she realized her insolence. Iroh waved his hand, dismissing the action.

"Do they have any possessions of Zuko?" Kazu chuckled sardonically.

"Obviously… we found you," she said rolling her eyes. "But it's only a small dagger. The Prince's room is like a museum at the Palace. Ozai won't let anyone in it."

Perhaps, just as Zuko was changing…

Oh, curse you old demon, Hope.

"Iroh, you and Zuko have to leave as soon as possible. They've stopped now, but once they realize that I'm gone, they're going to start asking questions and that'll only make them come for you faster."

Iroh remained silent. The chances of someone actually possessing a Gift…those were only supposed to be legendary: given from the Almighty Light at birth. They were extremely rare and possessors could be identified by their eye color. Those with one Gift had a dark, almost black, blue eye color…but there were the Ones born with two…with the silver eyes...those legendary creatures were the ones to be feared if they truly existed.

"Kazu, my dear, what color are Hia's eyes?" Kazu paused, thinking back.

"Silver." Iroh winced. "Is that bad?" His eyes widened

"If she has silver eyes, that means she has two Gifts. What else can you tell me about her?"

"Well…on the day she met us…she had this uncanny intuitive factor. She like…knew my thoughts. I can't remember what she said now. It's been so long." Iroh inwardly gasped, on the outside, he was cool.

"She has the Gift of Glimpsing."

"What?"

"She can Glimpse into peoples' minds. Are you sure you had no idea about her Gifts?"

"Yeah." She nodded solemnly. "I had to look it up. I swear, this girl...there's something not right with her, other than the fact that she's trying to kill both of you. She's insanley freaky. She speaks in Idioma all the time and it's...pretty...damn freaky. Get Zuko and get out, please."

"He's not going to respond well to this," Iroh said.

"'He's not going to respond well.' I just came on a boat, risking my life for him. I don't care if he doesn't respond well to the situation. I don't care if you have to throw him off the boat to get him off, just keep him safe. Keep yourself safe too as well."

"You as well, Little Shadow." They embraced in a tight departure hug. "Say hello to your father for me."

"I will." They released. A small tear shone in her eyes, but the Fire Lord's personal assistant never cried.

"Hope to see you soon," Kazu said as she lowered into her small boat.

"Take care…" Iroh whispered as the boat disappeared. The next task was to find Zuko, who was probably angsting in the dark or demanding to follow the Avatar. 'Agni, what am I going to do with that boy?' He thought.

Cue Zuko. "Uncle! Come here!" Adrenaline pumped through the old man's veins. He racked plans of escape in his head.

"Yes, Prince Zuko," Iroh said, plastering a smile on his face.

"We're right on the tail of the Avatar! We've almost got him!" The young boy's amber eyes lit with pride and excitement. "This is it. We've finally got him." Now or never.

"Zuko, we need to leave."

"What?" He cocked his only eyebrow in the old man's direction. "Leave? But the…"

"Zuko. Trust me, we have to leave. You're in danger." The teen scoffed.

"According to you, I'm always in danger. Uncle, don't worry about anything. The Avatar—"

"Zuko! This has nothing to do with the Avatar! You are in mortal danger. A ship owned by your father is over 50 knots away and they're here for your blood."

"You're lying! My father wouldn't—"

"You're father wouldn't harm you? He still loves you? He wants you back?" Concern for the boy and his raw desperateness pushed him to shout the words he had kept secret for years. "After Akida's death, you became** nothing** to Ozai. Why, why do you think he sent you on this wild chase? Why has he maimed you with the scar? He doesn't want you back. His arrival only confirms that. You and I are now felons. _We_ **must flee**, Zuko."

Stunned at his remarks, Zuko didn't move. His amber eyes attempted to penetrate his uncle with malice, but with each second, it was apparent that his strength was deflating.

"Zuko…please. Listen to me. We have to leave now." The young man stood tall. He blinked painfully attempting to pull into his façade once more, biting his bottom lip almost discreetly.

"Where to?" he asked slowly and steadily, forbidding himself to falter.

Iroh sighed. Having a quiet and calm Zuko was far worse than an exploding one. Adding to that, he wasn't sure where the closest Earth Kingdom Island was.

"I'm not sure. We have Jiro looking at possible evacuation scenarios."

"What about the crew?"

"For all they know, you were never here," Iroh said, forcing eye contact as he lied through his teeth.

"Sir! We've calculated the safest route and location for you to travel." Jiro entered the room.

"Where to, Jiro?"

"A small island called Bamou."

* * *

**bandgeek's music corner:**

Life Notes

ZOMG BBQ1! I have returned from the dead, but alas, my stay upon the mortal realm is short. First of all, we're heading into the fourth quarter. Crunch time, baby, crunch time. Secondly, I'm Catholic, and those of you who have calenders will realize that this wednesday is Ash Wednesday- the start of Lent. That means that I have to give upa vicefor 40 days...which means fanfiction. Sorry all, fanfiction has become my one vice. So, until Easter, roughly a month and two weeks after next Wednesday, I shall return with goodness! So, stay tight.

Oh and this chapter is completly un-beta-ed. cryusdragon is on vacation right now, so if this sucks, it's because I haven't let anyone read it. Even my friend Kazu (where I got the name for my character, yeah she's real. She goes to my school) hasn't read this, and she reads everything that I write before I post it.

Story Notes

My computer is on crack. It will not display italicized characters, so if there's a really big gaping hole where the should be words, tell me and I'll fix it as soon as possible, ok? And if this persists, I'll have to use the ugly "underline" button. God, I hate underlining things. It looks so crap-tacular. EDIT: Ok, tried to fix it, and bolded it, but apparently bolding things doesn't work either, so there are parts where it's underlined becuase bolding left a huge gaping hole as well. TT Why is my computer t3h suxorz?

Ok, one word, OOC...which is really three, but for today, OOC is one word. Ok, the argument with Zuko and Iroh in the middle and end, I have a love-hate relationship with. I was really not sure how each character would react to what was said. Somedays, I look at the last part and say that Iroh was **too **harsh with Zuko, but soemthing drastic needed to be said to beat the child into submission. Kazu is still my favorite OC to write. Wondering if I should write a chapter describing her relationship with Iroh and his deceased family--well, we assume that his wife is dead, you never know. She could be waiting for him to return...just like we don't know if Zuko's mom is dead. Uh...ranting. Ok, next chapter is with ZUKO AND KATARA! But not Zutara. No, by far means, no. I still have to write several kick-ass scenes where they beat each other. So, look forward to Katara, Sokka, Aang next chapter.

Farewell my minions. OoOoOh! 60 reviews! You guys have made my day! Go forth, read, tell your friends about it, review, all that kine stuff. This chapter was long, and you guys better be happy! Long 9 pages btw.

Kai :D


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT GETTING BACK IN LIKE THE LONGEST TIME! DO YOU ALL FORGIVE ME? ;;;; I'm soooo sorry. One thing followed another and with a mix of procrastination, it just totally...never happened! I'm so sorry. :begs forgiveness from readers: Oh, and btw, I've kind a lost my muse so I'm gonna take another break, trying to regain the spirit of this fic. Trust me, I want to finish this as much as you all want to finish reading it. I've never finished a fic before. NEVER. In my life. This will be my first complete one (I'm not including the oneshot in my profile. Oneshots are always finished.) So, please, bear with me as I trudge through these next chapters. I'm also going to the mainland in a couple of weeks, so I don't know how much computer access I'll have and then it's...dun, dun, dun...Junior Year. :squee: Maybe I'll get to chapt. 10 before then. ;;;;

I am sooo sorry, but on to more ficcy:D Again, if you have any questions, additional comments or constructive criticism, you know where to find me!

3, Kai

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Seven:**

**Landings**

The Island of Siempre doesn't exist.

That's what the majority of people born after 1484 thought. They had heard legends and stories from the Elders about the Land of Peace, the Land of Opportunity. But they never heard about it outside the contents of a bedtime story. The Fire Nation destroyed it in an early raid, they always said. It wasn't a major threat--it was what it represented that pushed the Fire to take over the people.

According to the legend, the Island of Siempre was formed by the Elements, the children of Light and Dark. During the Batalia de Noche y Dia, the Elements wanted a safe ground. Earth and Fire came together and formed a volcano. The Water calmed the hot sands and created hard ground. Air, a creation of Fire and Water, further hardened the land. Earth sprouted forth vegetation. The Elements had a place to convene safely and secretly. The Sun and Moon helped keep the Light and Dark from knowing about the Elements place. It was on this Island that Fire and Water met outside battle and fell in love.

According to the legal documents, held in each Country's Archives, the Island of Siempre was inhabited by people. These people were not registered as benders and they held their own culture and physical appearance, independent of the other Four Nations. They were completely self sufficient, creating thier own culture and striving without too much international interaction, save for Bamau, a small port city on the Eastern side of the Earth Kingdom

Aside from folklore and a few inventory notes, the Island of Siempre hadn't been uttered in word for 40 years.

And that's how the islanders liked it.

In 1484, the island _was_ attacked by the Fire Nation. With their primitive weaponry, the islanders didn't stand a chance. However, with the help of Bamau and some earthbenders, they drove away the Fire Nation.

Siempre slipped slowly into the depths of history and wasn't discussed for years. However, when the war pushed further and further on, it emerged through folklore as a safe haven for refugees and displaced persons. Through song, dance and epic poetry, the island of Siempre returned to the thoughts of the everyday citizen. They flocked to the harbor, and the people accepted them with open arms.

Siempre, translated roughly from the One's language, means ''Always,'' for it is always sunny, always temperate, and always peaceful.

''Land…anytime now…all we need is some land,'' Sokka said, staring out at the open, calm waters below him. Appa was flying at a steady rate; Katara had fallen to slumber and Aang was playing with his marbles again. ''Doesn't he ever get tired of that?'' Sokka asked himself.

''How much further to land, Sokka?'' Aang asked. Sokka turned from the water and opened his bag. He pulled out the rustic parchment and traced their path with his index finger for what seemed like the billionth time.

''We should see something in about two hours.''

''Finally. I'm starved,'' Aang said. ''What place should we be hitting?''

''I don't know. I think it says 'Bamau,' it's really hard to tell with the map. It's pretty old.''

''We should buy a new one when we get into town.''

"Yeah," Sokka nodded. Images of the past few day's events flashed in his inner eye. He looked away.

''What's wrong, Sokka?'' Aang asked. ''You've been kinda…down…since we left the North.''

''It's…nothing,'' he replied. ''It's nothing.''

''If its about your mom, I said I was sorry. It just kind of happened.''

''I know, I know.''

''Ok. Well, if you ever want to talk, you know where I am.''

Just at that, Appa gave a shudder and started to move downward rapidly. Momo flew from Katara's hands as she woke up. The three humans clasped to Appa's saddle, screaming as they descended too quickly.

''What the hell's going on?'' Sokka screamed above the rushing winds.

"I don't know!" Aang shouted back. "There's no land here! Appa, up!" The words were useless. The giant bison, unable to move freely, continued his forced path to the cerulean seas.

''Look! I see something!'' Katara said. ''It's a small island.''

''Sokka, you said that we weren't supposed to hit land for another two hours.''

"We're--" Appa splashed into the water, enveloping them with bitter salt water. "--Not," Sokka concluded. The giant bison swam slowly to shore, tired from the fall.

''What was that all about, Aang?'' Katara asked. Aang shrugged his shoulders, the same look of puzzlement etched on his face.

''Magic…'' they heard Sokka mutter. They glanced for a moment to see Momo float down and settle on Sokka's head.

''Where are we?'' Katara asked, glancing around. Aang swooped down from the saddle and scaled the area around them. He turned and created an air bubble for Katara to walk down from.

"No idea," he said, after eyeing the area in front of him.

''Is this Bamau?'' Katara turned to ask her brother, who was having some difficulty releasing himself from a tangle of ropes, resulting in him dangling from Appa's saddle. It was all Katara could do to prevent herself from laughing outloud.

''I have no idea!'' Sokka spat in return. ''I haven't had a real good look at this place from upside down, now _have I_? Could someone kindly let me down?''

''As you wish,'' Katara said. She reached for the ocean's Core, tightening her fingers around solid air. She gracefully moved with the ocean's waves, merging with her own Core. She pulled back her right arm, moving a slice of water with it.

''Not like that! Katara!'' Sokka screamed. Katara, already in her zone, willed the water to be icy and sharp. It obeyed her command. She shot the water towards the ropes, which snapped on contact. Sokka fell into the water. He reemerged, not too happy.

Katara fell into a giggling fit. Sokka squirted a mouthful of water out.

''That's not funny, Katara,'' he said.

''Yeah it is,'' Aang said, thoroughly enjoying Sokka's predicament; not to mention seeing how well Katara maneuvered her element. The gleam of power in her eyes…her strong, tanned arms…

Aang…snap out of it, he thought.

Sokka made his way to shore, and shucked the water off of his damp clothes. The three stood in awe at the tall tropical trees in front of them, staring at them as if they were unwelcome. Dark shadows crossed over, giving it an all knowing feel.

''So…who wants to go in first?'' Sokka asked.

''I'm not going in,'' Aang said.

''I think the shore will prove to be a very convenient place to camp in,'' Katara replied, fear causing her voice to waver a bit.

They were silent for a moment.

Then began to frantically pull their equipment from Appa's saddle and set up their ''camp'' (unrolled sleeping bags, a small hole for a fire later (''Where's a firebender when you need one?'') , a sack filled with food (''Momo, get out of there!''), and Aang's glider-stick rammed deep into the sand (''I proclaim this Avatar Island!'').

Rustle…

The two Water Tribe siblings continued to laugh at Aang's antics.

Rustle, rustle…

''Guys…'' Aang said, worry hanging in his words.

''What?'' Katara inquired.

''I hear something.''

Rustle, rustle, rustle…

Momo lifted his head and flew up, alert and ready to defend his masters.

''Oh…come on! We just got the fire started.''

Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle…

Aang grabbed his glider-stick in defense. Katara's left hand hovered over the water flask on her waist. Sokka pulled his weapon from the leather sheath on his back.

They were ready.

The rustling stopped.

Then…

A young girl stepped out from under a menacing vine.

''Hi!'' she said, smiling.

The three retreated, confusion etched on their faces.

The girl was quite peculiar. Her auburn hair was pulled into the Water Tribe traditional style (two long bangs pulled down to the collar bone and whipped into a rolled bun with the rest down), she wore Earth Bending boots (thick leather hide tied together with sinewy strings to keep them on). Her body was adorned with clothes of the Fire Nation (a black overcoat, with two gold buttons with a Fire Nation symbol sewed in on the side).

Her eyes were dark, almost black, brown. Her dark skin and slanted eyes told them she was from the Earth Kingdom.

Why in the name of the One would she wear Fire Nation clothing?

''_Hola_,'' she repeated. ''_Estan jovenes de agua_?''

Aang started to say something. Sokka merely cocked an eyebrow. Katara had never looked more confused in her life.

''You're not?'' the girl asked again. ''Too bad. You looked like nice people.'' She whipped out two daggers from her belt, inside the black overcoat.

The three retreated.

''Wait! Don't hurt us!'' Aang said, holding up his arms defensively.

''Dead men don't talk, mister,'' she said. ''Sorry. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them.'' She moved closer to them, swiping the air menacingly.

''W-wait! He's the Avatar!'' Sokka said in Ojuay, poking Aang's head (''Ow!'').

The girl lowered her daggers.

''Avatar, huh?'' She replied in the Water Tribesmen's native tongue. She rubbed her chin, contemplatively thinking. Her brown eyes sparkled with mischief. She looked at them once more. ''If Tattoo-Boy is the Avatar…who are you?''

''We're his friends. We've been traveling for months now. We need to teach him earth bending,'' Katara said, hiding her internal emotions of fear quite well.

''And fire before the summer,'' Aang piped in.

''And fire? Like…more than one element?''

Sokka slapped his forehead with the base of his palm.

''You've come to the right place! Welcome to the Island of Siempre!'' Her arms flung out in a V-shape, welcoming them.

''Siempre? No way, that place was destroyed by the Fire Nation long before either of us were even thought of, let alone born.''

''Oh really?'' the girl asked playfully. ''Well, since you're so caught up with your history, you won't mind me leading you inside…since there's nothing there.''

''Well…''

''Shut up, Sokka.''

''What's your name, by the way?'' Aang asked, hope oh-so-apparent in his eyes.

''Kari,'' she smiled.

''Do you earthbend?'' Kari snickered and scoffed (at the same time).

''I can earthbend about as much as your horse thing can speak.'' His face fell, but perked in a second.

''Horse thing?''

''Whatever the big white fluffy thing is with the arrow on his head. Yeah…that thing.''

''That's Appa. My flying _bison_…but close.''

''So…this is the mysterious Island of Siempre. Where its always warm, always sunny and always peaceful?'' Sokka asked.

''Looks like you've picked up our brochure,'' Kari snickered. ''Come on. I'm going to get butchered for bringing in NoSpeakers, but I trust you guys.'' She moved into the brush, using her hand to push hanging branches out of her face.

''NoSpeakers?'' Sokka inquired.

''Yeah. That's what we call those who don't understand the Ancient Language. It's our key to know if you're an enemy or not.''

''Clever,'' he replied.

The brush eventually pulled away to a rocky, solid path. The heat from the sun trapped itself in the hanging trees and the air's moisture, causing the three new explorers to bake.

''Is it always this hot?'' Aang asked.

''Once we get out of here, it's much cooler. Especially with the trades,'' Kari said. ''Don't worry, we're almost there.''

With that, Kari moved one last tree branch from the way.

''Welcome to _La Ciudad_,'' Kari said. Seeing the blank expressions on their face, she translated. ''The City.''

There wasn't much to say about the City. The three had never seen anything quite like it before. It was a circular area with shops and stores and stands nestled peacefully. Some were blue, others were red and a few were green, each representing their respected country. Some were blended, like the fish store. The part where the fish was sold was blue and where it was cooked, red. Food and random arrays of useless junk hung from the wooden roofs and tents. Children ran through the streets, clad in different clothing.

Among the normals, there were a select that looked _different_ than the rest. A couple passed them on the right, chasing a blur of a child. They were dark skinned with strait, frizzy black hair, slender figures, a flattened nose, and wide eyes. He wore loose beige clothing that didn't match any particular Nation.

''Keoni! Get back here!'' The older male shouted. He didn't look much older than Sokka. He stopped to catch his breath and noticed the three puzzled travelers. ''Kari, these the new kids?'' He spoke in an odd language; it wasn't the Old Language, at least that's what Sokka concluded.

"No. The scouts are still out there by Omashu," she replied in the strange language. "But, Kekoa, this is the Avatar and his compadres--" Kari turned to the three. "Names?" she asked in Ujuay.

"Sokka and my little sister, Katara," Sokka replied

"Sokka and his little sister, Katara of the Water Tribes," The four exchanged their salutations as best they could with that bothersome language barrier.

"Avatar, huh?" Kekoa asked, stroking his chin very similarly to Kari had earlie. "Chief is gonna wanna see this, yah Kari?"

"Shoots. I'd be there already if I hadn't run into you on the way." Kekoa's face was draped with hurt, but his eyes still gleamed with playfulness.

"You know, if I wasn't courting you and you weren't a girl, I'd kill you." Kari playfully shoved him away.

"But you _love_ me!" She flashed her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Perhaps. It depends on how much you believe." Kari pushed him away again.

"Have you seen Chief Kalakaua?" She asked sternly, hands balled in fists, resting on her hips.

"I think he's still in or might be with the men fishing. You know how much he likes to do that.''

''I know.'' She turned to the three. ''Ready to walk some more?''

''Food…'' Sokka managed to spit out. ''I like food.''

''Take them to Katana's. They make great sushi.''

''Sushi? I don't think our worn world travelers would appreciate simple…sushi. How about J and J? They've got the best plate lunches on the island.''

''They've got the _only_ plate lunches on the island. I thought you didn't like the kalbi ribs.''

''I don't. I _do_ like teriyaki though.''

''Maybe I should take you someplace then,'' Kekoa moved closer to Kari, smiling.

''Stop, your sister is over there,'' Kari said, pushing him away playfully but moving in at the same time.

''Don't mind my sister,'' he said, leaning in.

''But please mind the starving Avatar and his friends,'' Aang said, translating their language and speaking it.

''How does he understand us?'' Kekoa asked, blushing like mad.

''Long story,'' Aang replied. ''I'm hungry, Sokka's hungry, and I'm sure Katara's hungry. Can we _please_ find someplace to eat and then meet the Chief guy?''

Kari had turned bright red. ''Sorry,'' she muttered. ''I'll see ya around Koa?'' she asked. The boy nodded and returned to his search for his younger brother.

''Boyfriend?'' Katara asked. Kari nodded and continued the walk.

''What are you guys hankering for? I like J and J's, but that's more local food.''

''Looking around, doesn't look like there's much to the term local,'' Sokka stated.

''Yeah. Except for that guy and his sister. They were different,'' Aang said.

''Yeah. He's 100 Siempreneese. _They're_ the local bunch. They've been here for a while, the Siempreneese I mean.''

''Are they benders?''

''Nope. The borders are open for those who are refugees and fleeing their country.''

''You even accept firebenders?'' Katara asked, memories of her mother charging her words.

''Why not? They're human too.''

''It just seems…weird, you know?''

''That's what I like about Siempre. There really isn't a lot of racism. Oh sure, we've got the occasional outbreak in the Square, but for the most part, we're pretty peaceful.''

''Like the slogan says,'' Sokka piped in. Kari laughed and rolled her eyes.

''Right. Just like the slogan says.'' They walked for a few more feet. ''There you go. Class A Water Tribe restaurant right there.'' She pointed to a wooden building. It was tall, slightly bigger than the standard one story, like many of the restaurants they passed, it had an awning. The two Water Tribe siblings drank the familiar home smells. Aang tried his best not to gag.

''I AM NOT PAYING THAT MUCH FOR THAT SCRAP PIECE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?'' A young girl's voice echoed down the strip.

''Listen, you either pay that or you don't get it. It's a rare valuable,'' a drawling male's voice replied.

''I BEG TO DIFFER! LOOK AT IT! THIS ISN'T A VALUABLE!''

''What do you mean, _look_, you're freaking ---'' the drawling man's voice ended there. What was followed was choking and gagging sounds.

''Don't you _dare_ speak of that again. I'm a better earthbender than you can ever dream of being. Now, _leave_ before I have to hurt you again.''

The four gaped at the image. What they saw--a small, _blind_ twelve year old girl beat the crap out of an older man…that was something odd even for Siempre standards.

''Uh…anyway, hope you like stewed prunes,'' Kari said as she escorted the three into the restaurant.

They sat down at a table under the awning. A waiter gave them water in polished wooden cups.

''Who was that?'' Katara asked. ''That's kind of…creepy.''

''Her name's Toph. She came from the Southern Earth Kingdom city of Lang Pao, escaping her parents. She's a pretty damn good earthbender, but I've never seen her get like that before.''

''Earthbender?'' Aang perked. ''Do you think she could teach me?''

''If you can break her demeanor for two seconds, maybe. If she doesn't kill you after doing that, you're in,'' Kari said.

''You know a lot of people, Kari,'' Katara said.

''It's something that happens when you live on an island, especially one of refugees. It's fun. It's like we're this big, huge happy family.'' A smile was added here. ''I just hope this war ends soon. We're running out of room and scouts keep getting recruited to the armies of either side.'' She nodded her head toward the opening where Kekoa and his sister and little brother were playing. ''His older brother, Akoni, was found and is fighting for the Earth Kingdom. But our friend Ren, he's on the Fire side. Both were scouts, both were good friends…'' Kari sat back and took a long swig of water.

''War sucks…'' Sokka said, swirling his water.

Aang looked into his water, not glancing up. He knew if he did, someone would make a remark about the Avatar and how that he was back, the world would be safe.

Him. Only him.

_I'm gonna need something stronger than water_, he thought.


End file.
